Chamber
Plenary, 21 Apr 2005
21 Apr 2005 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Dental Health Services
No. I am running out of time.
The SNP believes that more needs to be done to expand the workforce and therefore supports the development of a third full dental school in Scotland. If we require evidence of the need for that, the total number of applications for entry to dental schools in 2005 was 1,044, but 152 places were available. There were 550 applications for 85 places at Glasgow dental school and 494 applications for 67 places at Dundee dental school. Those applicants are all potential dentists of the future. It is clear that they are qualified to train as dentists, but they cannot do so because of a lack of places at dental school. That highlights the need to secure an extra dental school. The SNP is committed to doing that.
The preventive measures that the minister outlined in her plan are important. I highlight one that jumped out at me, which is to
"Implement new schemes to promote registration and associated preventive activity from birth".
We need to get children registered with a dentist at as young an age as possible, but that will happen only if there are more NHS dentists to do the work. The situation is a classic catch-22, which the minister and the Executive must resolve in order to deliver some of the good things that are in the plan.
The SNP believes that more needs to be done to expand the workforce and therefore supports the development of a third full dental school in Scotland. If we require evidence of the need for that, the total number of applications for entry to dental schools in 2005 was 1,044, but 152 places were available. There were 550 applications for 85 places at Glasgow dental school and 494 applications for 67 places at Dundee dental school. Those applicants are all potential dentists of the future. It is clear that they are qualified to train as dentists, but they cannot do so because of a lack of places at dental school. That highlights the need to secure an extra dental school. The SNP is committed to doing that.
The preventive measures that the minister outlined in her plan are important. I highlight one that jumped out at me, which is to
"Implement new schemes to promote registration and associated preventive activity from birth".
We need to get children registered with a dentist at as young an age as possible, but that will happen only if there are more NHS dentists to do the work. The situation is a classic catch-22, which the minister and the Executive must resolve in order to deliver some of the good things that are in the plan.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-2708, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, on behalf of the Health Committee, on access to dental health s...
Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP):
SNP
Members of the Health Committee, like members throughout the chamber, have been concerned by the extent of the anecdotal evidence of a perceived decline in a...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
Roseanna Cunningham will remember that those statistics relate to health board areas and that in committee I made the point that, on a local authority basis,...
Roseanna Cunningham:
SNP
Yes. There is an issue with how the figures operate, because they relate to health board areas, not local authority areas or, indeed, constituency areas.Ther...
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care (Rhona Brankin):
Lab
We all agree that Scotland has a continuing need to improve oral health, especially among children and in deprived communities. Indeed, in deprived areas of ...
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con):
Con
In countries such as Denmark and Sweden, specialised dental health educators supervise children's toothbrushing sessions. Will the minister expand on the pla...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
That is a good point. At the moment, there is a variety of ways of supervising toothbrushing. In some schools, dental hygienists supervise it, but we are con...
Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The minister was due to visit that dentist but she cancelled the visit. Would it not be appropriate for her to go ahead with it, if necessary to talk to the ...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
I will be absolutely frank with the member. I thought that it was important, on my visit to Dumfries and Galloway, to meet dentists who are committed to the ...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
How can the Executive ensure that the £150 million of resources that have been allocated will meet the priorities, given the distinct lack of information tha...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
There is no doubt that we need to get better at acquiring information, but we have enough information at the moment to be able to plan with NHS boards. We ar...
Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP):
SNP
I pay tribute to those who worked on the report and to the committee clerks for their input. The report is an excellent piece of research, which has informed...
Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab):
Lab
Does the member approve of the actions of the dentist in Stranraer last weekend? Does she approve of the ultimatum that he gave to loyal patients, who had to...
Shona Robison:
SNP
That is not the point. If we are to persuade dentists to stay in the NHS and persuade dentists who have left the NHS to come back, it is not helpful to casti...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
The minister has announced £150 million of additional funding, which is the biggest-ever investment in NHS dentistry. Within a few weeks of that announcement...
Shona Robison:
SNP
The minister misses the point. The individual dentist is not the issue. The issue is those who have gone before and those who may come after and make the dec...
Alex Fergusson:
Con
I agree with Shona Robison's comment about the language that has been used. I will address that in my speech. Does she agree that the endless stream of denti...
Shona Robison:
SNP
The two go together. Those dentists do not have quality time with their patients and they are run off their feet. If dentists can do less work for more money...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Shona Robison:
SNP
No. I am running out of time.The SNP believes that more needs to be done to expand the workforce and therefore supports the development of a third full denta...
Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I joined the Health Committee as the report was being published. I commend the committee for commissioning the report, which gives a clear snapshot of curren...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
What is the Conservative party's policy on private dentistry?
Mrs Milne:
Con
Dentists are contracted to the health service. It is up to them whether to work for the NHS or opt to go private—that has been a long-standing situation. If ...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
This is a welcome debate on the problems that NHS dentistry in Scotland faces. The failure over many years to ensure that everyone in Scotland—regardless of ...
Mary Scanlon:
Con
Will the minister give way?
Mike Rumbles:
LD
I am not a minister, but I will certainly give way.
Mary Scanlon:
Con
Mike Rumbles mentioned the Edinburgh dental school. Does he acknowledge that the Conservatives recommended the postgraduate dental institute in Edinburgh, wh...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
It would be wiser for the Conservatives not to push the issue, because they have done a lot of damage. They set in train the damage to the NHS dental service...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am interested in Liberal Democrat support for what we might term golden handcuffs for dentists who are going into training and education. Does Mr Rumbles h...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
It is not appropriate to refer to golden handcuffs. However, I am certainly in favour of this concept for dentists and I think that it could be expanded for ...